circular saw

[edl]

high guys - what would be a good set up to use this - so not at a site (like cutting a wall) more if you want to use this in lieu of a table saw - so saw horses are an obvious one...but any good tips on a rip fence...or securing the item to be cut...etc. - thanks!! ed

 

[boiler7904]

Your question is a little confusing. Can you clarify it?

 

[edl]

Sure - i am trying to come up with a good set up to use a circular saw to cut loose lumber (so not trying to cut up something built already) - for example, I want to lay a sheet of 4x8 plywood and cut strips - what is a good "table" solution - i guess i can use 2 sawhorses - maybe a c clamp or 2 - as the piece gets smaller, push the sawhorses together - eventually be down to one (in fact, that is what i have done up until now) - is there another way to skin the cat - short of a table saw = thanks, ed

 

[boiler7904]

You could always get a sheet of rigid foam insulation and lay it on the floor. Lay the plywood on top and make as many cuts as you want with out having to re-arrange saw horses as the piece gets smaller.

Another option is to run a couple of 2x4s between the sawhorses and the sheet of plywood. It will be continuously supported as long as you're cutting across the 4' dimensions of the sheet.

 

[BlueZero]

That's funny. I'm in the same situation. I have about $500 I want to spend on woodworking tools so I can build a desk over the winter. If I buy a table saw that budget is pretty much all gone. So I bought a circular saw so far. The desk will be built out of birch plywood.

I've read that putting the sheets on the floor and on top of a sheet of rigid insulation works good. That way the whole sheet is supported and you can crawl across as you cut. Just cut into the insulation as you go. Not a problem if your young with a good back.

I good guide is a must also. I've been looking at a few. I might just end up getting a piece of angle iron instead. It's not going to be table saw quality but to cut 4x8 sheets on a table saw you need a decent size one anyway.

Hope that helps some! Any other ideas would be great too.

 

[Hutch]

I've always just used another sheet of plywood or a 2x c-clamped on as a fence, set on saw horses. The guide on my circular saw is 1 1/4" IIRC, so I clamp the ply wood with the "fence" on top, measure twice from both ends, and rip away. Works well so far. I actually like making cuts out of a big sheet better this way than on a table saw b/c I don't have to manhandle the full sheet.

 

[edl]

thx!~~~~~~~

 

[daddylama]

from popular woodworking...

shop boxes, with wood i-beams.

i use the shop boxes, but just throw 2x6s between 'em. a shop box is nothing more than a box, that can be laid on any side, each side having a different height. so laid flat they're 24" tall... on another side they're 36" tall, etc... made mine out of some leftover pine and whitewood.
the more i work with these, the more i realize i f'ing hate sawhorses.

and a simple but foolproof fence that works great for plywood ('specially thin plywood)

edit:
couple more pics...

i'm thinking of making the wood i-beams... much stiffer/straighter than a 2x6... and i use the shop boxes more often than my workbench ('cause the workbench is always piled up with ****)

 

[mhoffm911]

These type of posts are what make this forum great. Great response from all.

 

[boiler7904]

I like the idea of the shop boxes and i-beams except that they are bulky and would be hard to store in my 2 car garage that actaully sees my truck and SUV inside almost every night (except during a long project).

 

[Bigger Hammer]

I like the idea of the shop boxes and i-beams except that they are bulky and would be hard to store in my 2 car garage that actaully sees my truck and SUV inside almost every night (except during a long project).

I thought the same thing when I saw them. And then I had a thought of making them out of angle iron. Two of the sides welded solid and two sides being nothing more than links that connect the two solid frames together. Add a diagonal brace that could be quickly unbolted and they could fold down nearly flat and hang on the wall.

 

[daddylama]

I like the idea of the shop boxes and i-beams except that they are bulky and would be hard to store in my 2 car garage that actaully sees my truck and SUV inside almost every night (except during a long project).

i have 'em in a small carriage house... that's a full workshop and has a car in it (ok, a 1920s car... in parts). i just make creative use of the ceiling. pulleys are my friend. the shop boxes spend a lot of time up there. alternatively, they slide under my workbench, and since they're mostly empty space inside, i can put milk crates filled with other stuff inside of 'em.

i'm making the I-beams out of 3/4" plywood... guess they can sit along the wall, up high near the ceiling, where my lumber and metal sits.

 

[SSCustoms]

Another option for cutting sheets of wood, particularly if you don't have space for a table saw, is a panel saw. They can be rather expensive to buy, but plans for building one are easy to come by and you can use a circular saw you already own.

 

[wilbilt]

I just lay an 8' 2x4 on the floor (or a couple of shorter pieces) a few inches behind the cut line and lay the sheet on top of it. Then I walk across the sheet while cutting.

 

[mbatarga]

For the best quality cut, keep the "good" side of the plywood down.

 

[boiler7904]

For the best quality cut, keep the "good" side of the plywood down.

A piece of painter's masking tape on the top side of the cut line helps with the small amount of tearout you get on that face. You can also score along the cut line with a sharp knife to reduce tearout.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Another option for cutting sheets of wood, particularly if you don't have space for a table saw, is a panel saw. They can be rather expensive to buy, but plans for building one are easy to come by and you can use a circular saw you already own.

Even building one is going to be expensive. I was looking at several options, including used (we had three borg type chains close) when I found the Eurekazone (can be seen on Ebay). I had used some sawboards, but this offered me some more options, as I needed them. Too much probably for his needs now.